This song was written for a women’s TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general. reading on Simchat TorahThe holiday at the end of Sukkot during which Jews dance with the Torah late into the night. The yearly reading cycle of the Torah is completed and a new cycle is begun. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah mark the end of the holiday season. In some congregations, the Torah scroll is unrolled in its entirety, and selected verses are read or sections noted., based on the traditional Chatan Torah poem.
עֲמוֹדְנָה עֲמוֹדְנָה נָשִׁים אוֹהֲבוֹת תוֹרָה
!וּתְנוּ כָבוֹד לְאֵל גָדוֹל וְנוֹרָא
Rise up, Rise up, Women who love the Torah,
And give honor to the great and awesome Gd!
וּבִשְׂכָר זֶה תִזְכֵּנָה מֵאֵל נוֹרָא
לִרְאוֹת בָּנוֹת וּבְנוֹת בָּנוֹת עוֹסְקוֹת בַּתוֹרָה
For this, may the Awesome Gd find you deserving
To have daughters and granddaughters busy with the Torah
וּמְקַיְמוֹת מִצְווֹת בְתוֹךְ עַם יָפֶה מָלֵא טָהֲרָה
וְתִזְכּוּ לִשְׂמוֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה
Fullfilling MitzvotLit. Commandment. It is traditionally held that there are 613 mitzvot (plural) in Judaism, both postive commandments (mandating actions) and negative commandments (prohibiting actions). Mitzvah has also become colloquially assumed to mean the idea of a “good deed." amidst a beautiful and pure people,
May you be worthy to rejoice in Gd’s chosen House!
שַׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָלַיִם, וְגִילוּ בָה בִּמְהֵרָה
שִׂישׂוּ אוֹתָה בְּתוֹךְ כָּל הַמִתְאַבְּלִים עָלֵיהָ בְּאֶבְלָה וְצָרָה
May JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming "the eternal capital of Israel." Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled. rejoice, may you be happy in her soon,
May all those who mourned for her sadness and hardship, make her glad!
עֲמוֹדְנָה עֲמוֹדְנָה נָשִׁים אוֹהֲבוֹת תוֹרָה
לִלְמוֹד יַחַד תוֹרָה בִּרְשוּת כָּל הַחֶבְרָה הַבָּרָה
Rise up, Rise up, Women who love the Torah,
With permission from this holy gathering, let us learn Torah!
אֶפְתַח פִּי בְּשִׁיר וּבְזִמְרָה
לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵל לָדַר בִּנְהוֹרָה
I sing aloud with melody and song,
Thanks and praise to the One who dwells in light
שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְמָנוּ בְּיִרְאָתוֹ הַטְהוֹרָה
וְהִגִיעָנוּ לִשְׂמוֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחַת תוֹרָה
Who kept us alive and sustained us in His pure awe
And brought us to celebrate Simchat Torah
וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִפְנֵי הַגְבוּרָה
לָתֵת חַייִם וָחֶסֶד וַעֲטָרָה לַנָשִׁים הַשְׂמֵחוֹת בַּתוֹרָה
Therefore may it be the Mighty One’s will
To give life, kindness, and a crown
to the women who rejoice with the Torah
לְאַמְצָן וּלְבַרְכָן וּלְגַדְלָן בְּתַלְמוּד תוֹרָה
לְדַרְשָׁן לְחַייִם וּלְהַדְרָן בַּקְהִילָה הַיְקָרָה
To strengthen them, to bless them, to increase their study of Torah
To seek them out of life, and to adorn their gathering in splendor!
